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Fiber is well known to be an important part of a healthy diet, yet less than 10% of Americans eat the minimum recommended amount. A study might finally convince us to fill our plates with beans, nuts, cruciferous veggies, avocados and other fiber-rich foods. The research identified the direct epigenetic effects of two common byproducts of fiber digestion and found that some of the alterations in gene expression had anti-cancer actions. When we eat fiber, the gut microbiome produces short-chain fatty acids. These compounds are more than just an energy source for us: they have long been suspected to indirectly...

Psyllium fiber protects against ulcerative colitis and suppresses inflammation by activating the bile acid nuclear receptor, a mechanism that was previously unrecognized, according to a study. The findings reveal that psyllium inhibits inflammation that can lead to colitis in mice by increasing serum bile acids, resulting in the activation of the farnesoid X receptor (FXR), a bile acid nuclear receptor. Fiber-rich foods promote intestinal and metabolic health, but the extent of protection varies for each fiber type. It has been unclear whether dietary fiber can benefit severe forms of intestinal inflammation, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, which are...

A medication for high cholesterol can drastically cut "forever chemicals" (PFAS)—associated with an increased risk of cancer and banned in Europe—in the blood, researchers said. But the drug was not suitable for widespread and prolonged use because of its side effects. A clinical trial with cholestyramine led to a reduction 20 times greater than the normal result without intervention. "The effect of treatment was actually a decrease in the plasma of 63 percent," said Lindhardt. Researchers say the results are promising for treating people who have been exposed to high doses of the "forever chemicals", so called because they tend...

A new study in Bioactive Carbohydrates and Dietary Fibre suggests that taking a dietary supplement called psyllium can help control blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus even if they are taking antidiabetic medications and using a restricted diet. Psyllium is a plant whose seeds are used commercially to produce mucilage which is is a thick, gluey material full of a polar glycoprotein and an exopolysaccharide.  Mucilage is found high in flaxseeds. The double blind, placebo controlled clinical trial led by N. Mark and colleagues from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC shows that taking 3.4 grams...